Four free covid tests are coming in September through covidtest.gov.
This is the seventh time the federal government has offered free tests by mail, David Boucher, Director of Infectious Disease Preparedness and Response at ASPR told reporters in a media briefing Friday.
The free tests are part of a strategy to keep the public from getting one of several viruses that spread easier in fall and winter.
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"As people start to travel, as they start to get together with friends and family through the holidays, want them to have those four tests available to them at that time," Boucher said. "We have several other distribution channels. The test that you see in schools, libraries, long term care facilities, food banks, community centers, that type of thing where they're close to people's homes. Those distribution channels don't pause."
The latest CDC dashboard data shows COVID infections are flat and ER visits have decreased just slightly over the last week. But an August 23rd CDC respiratory illness report said wastewater levels for COVID remain very high.
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"Many areas of the country are continuing to experience increases in COVID-19 activity, though other areas are experiencing declines in COVID-19 activity following increases this summer. COVID-19 test positivity, emergency department visits, and rates of COVID-19–associated hospitalizations remain elevated, particularly among adults 65+ and children under 2 years," the report summary said in part.
The CDC has recommended those six months and older get a dose of newly FDA approved and authorized COVID vaccines formulated to fight a variant called KP.2 — closer to the strains currently causing the virus — which constantly mutates to spread. Those shots will begin showing up in pharmacies, clinics, and doctor's offices this week.
